Originally Posted by
dkc192
...I've had the same mediocre, small meal on Hawaii long-haul flights for the past several years, including the longest Hawaii flight in the network (EWR-HNL)...
EWR-HNL came to UA with the merger. Service/food was far better (same as CO IAH-HNL/OGG). UA took it down a bunch and the pandemic a bunch more. On the other hand, the route (considering it's length) never commanded the fare premium the int'l routes did/do. I think we're being trained by UA to expect less. It's working - I spend a bit more time thinking about a travel day's food scheme than I did before, when I could depend on UA for a decent meal up front.
Even though the UA sandwiches smell good, I've planned my meals/snacks to avoid them, even if it means buying something at the airport.